It's Your Choice
by JaneCorvin
Summary: I want to WRITE SOMETHING; but I need your help deciding.
1. Chapter 1

So I have a couple of stories brewing. Multifics. But I can't figure out which one I should do now. Anyway, the next "chapter" will be a portion of one fic and the next chapter after that will be a part of another fic. If you guys wouldn't mind dropping a comment or PM about which is more intriguing to you. I really want to start writing more than faux-press releases and it's SUMMER! So anyway hit me up.


	2. Chapter 2

Run Kid

"Maura, please. I love you." She's begging. Jane never begs.

"Just go. I don't want to see you-"

"That is a fucking lie and you know it."

"No, it's not."

"Fine. Then take off your jacket and let me see if you have hiv-"

"It's not a lie, Jane. I swear."

She eyes her curiously before taking the bait. "Okay…then why don't you want to see me again?"

"…"

"If you're going to break my fucking heart I at least deserve to know why." She's struggling to speak.

"You _know_ why."

"…because of your father…right." Jane swipes her hand across the back of her neck. "Look, I know what I'm doing, okay. We've been careful. He has no idea-"

Maura scoffs. "Jane, please. Okay. He's the head of the Irish mob. How long did you think we'd be able to keep this up? Keep our relationship from him? Hm?"

"Wait a minute. He knows?"

"Of course he does."

"Maura..." Jane swallows slowly. "Why don't you want to see me anymore?"

"Because. He said that the next time I did…he said he'd kill you."

A tear slides down Maura's face and she watches as Jane repetitively pulls the elastic band from her ponytail and shake out her long dark curls only to pull it back up again, tying the band too tight. Finally she stops and snaps her eyes suddenly to Maura.

"We'll run."

"What?"

"Tonight. We'll take off. Run away."

"But, Jane. What about your family…and all of our stuff. I-I have school. You just started at the academy. That's so important to you and I don't want to be the reason-"

"Fuck that." She doesn't flinch as Jane slides her hands on either side of her face. Holding on for dear life. " _You_ are important. The _most_ important. We can start a new life somewhere else. Change our names. I'm a twenty-two year old athlete. I can get into any academy no problem. And you. You're the most talented, most intelligent woman in the world. Any college would be lucky to have you…I'm lucky to have you."

Maura shifts her gaze from Jane's troubled eyes to her lips. Thinking as she exhales and closes her eyes. Jane is right. They could disappear. Though her father is a mob boss and is inquisitive at his worst, she is a genius. A mob boss's daughter. Was raised under the nose of a blood hound. One that taught her everything he knows. And Jane is strong, instinctual and fierce. They could do this.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes. Let's-"

"Maura." She recoils so badly at the sound of his voice that she can feel the sound of his anger prickle up her spine, perching as beads of sweat behind her ears. She turns to him. They both do.

"Daddy."

"Get over here."

"Maura." She catches Jane's eyes as she tightens her grip around her shoulders. Begging. Groveling for her not to move.

"Maura. Now." He does not scream. He never does.

Without another painful glance, she extracts herself from Jane. Her heart beats faster as she spies the gun tucked into the waist band of his pants. Surely he wouldn't use it. Not in front of her. _But he's ruthless, Maura. You know this. Persuade him. You're daddy's girl. Change. His. Mind._

"Daddy. I was…just saying goodbye." She smiles. He doesn't.

"Goodbye? Baby please don't-" Jane steps forward as she pleads. Like lightning he takes aim. He's fast, but so is Maura.

"Patrick, no!" She grabs his arm, letting her fear transfer in the form of the death grip settled on his elbow. "Patrick….daddy, please. Let's just go. Let's just go."

He looks at her and she's not so sure he'll grant her desire. But he does. Like he always does. Except when it comes to her relationship. With a _female._ A future _cop._ None the less, he lowers the gun, grabs her arm and drags…no, leads her down the docks. She does not need to be dragged. She knows what she must do. So she doesn't fight him.

"Get on the boat." She complies sitting on the newly bleached seat. He stares at her. Not once looking away for a long while.

"You love her."

"Yes."

"She loves you."

"Yes."

"…she won't stop looking." Finally she raises her head and stared back, she doesn't have to answer. In fact he hadn't even posed it as a question.

"Danny." He's crony approaches him. Ready to follow any _dis_ order. He removes the gun from his pants and Maura knows. She knows what he's going to say. She leaps from her seat towards the docks but is stopped by his large arm. Just one, around her small waist holding her back as she screams until her head bangs with pain. "Take care of it."

He places the gun in his hands and grabs Maura with both hands just as she manages to attempt diving into the water. She watches as Danny, her god father, clogs down the pier where Jane is sure to still be. Standing in shock. He looks over his shoulder at her as he reaches the warehouse. Pity in his eyes is overwhelming him. She can tell. He thinks he's doing her a favor by dragging the door close but he's not. And with the single shot ring of the gun, she faints.


	3. Chapter 3

The Dancer

Maura hated going to these things. Well not really hate. She thought they were a waste her of time. Maura's studio agent convinced her that going to scout out dancers from the slums of Boston was a way to a quick humanitarian success story. He guilt tripped her into going to these low budget musicals put on by high schools by saying that it would speak volumes about her studio. As much as Maura wanted to believe that anyone could be a part of her company solely based on their talent, it just wasn't true. Her lessons were expensive, but parents came from around the world just to have the chance at getting their child into her dance company.

"I should be teaching them right now," Maura mumbled to herself as she swung her legs to the side for yet another person to pass by her and take their seat. She hated how close together these chairs were.

"Excuse me? Um is this seat taken?" A asked a woman standing in front of the chair beside her. When Maura didn't reply, just sat staring at her, the woman shrugged her shoulders and moved to sit down.

Maura was instantly enthralled by the woman. She had dark hair that fell in ringlets past her shoulders and down her back. What little she had seen of the woman's eyes intrigued her. _She asked you something._ Maura tried to think of what to say, but she couldn't even remember the question the woman had asked her.

She sat staring until the woman finally stopped pretending to read the program and lifted her head to meet Maura's gaze. Not knowing why Maura was staring at her, and Maura not knowing what to say had both of them uneasily gazing at each other. Finally, Maura couldn't hold it in anymore. Her brain suddenly kick started and she blurted the first thing that came to her mind.

"I don't have any children here. Or at all. I mean not that I don't want children. I don't hate children either. I just don't have any. Right now." After a beat of silence the woman squinted her eyes at Maura. She looked completely bewildered for a long moment before she released a shaky chuckle that made Maura blush.

"Um…okay…I uh…Honestly I have no idea how to respond to that."

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant to say." The woman slowly nodded her head. Her eyes curiously taking in this woman, trying to figure out what her deal was.

"Yeah, I figured."

"I meant to ask…what it was that you just asked me," the dancer said slowly trying to let her mind catch up to the sentence she was trying to put together.

"Oh, I was asking if anyone was sitting here." She gestured to her own seat.

Silence. Then… "I'm Maura." She internally cursed herself for not being able to form an actual coherent answer to this total stranger's question. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ The brunette woman let a grin slowly spread across her face as she resettled herself more into her seat turning almost completely to face Maura.

"…Hi Maura. I'm Jane."

"I'm-sorry. That also is not what I meant to say. What I meant was, no. There's not anyone sitting there." Jane chuckled again, but before she could respond the lights in the auditorium started to dim and the woman turned back forward. Maura reluctantly turned around as well when the show began.

Through the first half of the show Maura's thoughts continued to drift back to the woman sitting beside her. She started to appreciate how close the seats were together. Whenever Jane would move to scratch her nose or run her fingers through her hair, she would brush arms with Maura. The last time it happened she gasped and Jane turned to her and apologized. She inwardly chastised herself for reacting that way.

Maura had been around some really attractive woman in her profession-dancers, dance moms, fans-and had even dated a few. However, none of them had had quite the effect on her that this women sitting next to her had. In the midst of her thoughts she saw out of the corner of her eye Jane break into a beaming smile at something and when Maura glanced at the stage she saw the reason for the woman's sudden joy.

 _Oh my God._ There he was. Her diamond in the rough. He glided from one side of the stage to the other. Legs, long. Knees, strong. Wrists, flowing. Feet, pointed. He was solely enraptured in the music. His movements more than just steps. The boy completed his first arabesque and suddenly tucked into a front roll coming to stand in a "V" position and sliding into a split. Maura leapt to the edge of her seat. Attention focused on the boy throughout his solo. Legs, long. Knees, strong. Wrists, flowing. Feet, pointed.

"He's perfect." She whispered more to herself, but was shocked out of her concentration when she heard a low voice from behind her.

"He sure is." Maura turned to see that Jane was still staring at the boy on stage. Maura slowly sat back in her seat and taking her program began riffling through it for the boy's name. She searched and searched through all of the previous dancers. Maura didn't really see their names, though. All she saw was, flexed toes. Weak arms. Disconnected. Heavy feet. But then she found it. The perfection in the form of one dark haired boy with the most beautiful lines she'd ever seen. One name. **Leonardo Rizzoli**.

* * *

Jane waited for her son at the back stage exit with a few other parents. She was so ready to see him and tell him that he did all of his worrying for nothing. Leo had been working non-stop in the makeshift dance studio she had built him in their basement. When he first came home from school with the news that he had been casted as a dancer in one of the musicals, she knew he would be locked away in there for hours every day. He was nervous that he would miss something or forget a step in the routine while performing. Jane hopelessly tried to remind him that he was the one who choreographed the routine himself, but he was still petrified. _Mother knows best_. Just then the door opened and the performers began to pour out. She looked around until she finally caught sight of dark hair.

"Leo! Over here!" The boy spotted her and ran over surprising her with a bear hug.

"Did you see me? Everyone said it was really good and they were all super shocked when I told them I was the one who made it up!"

"I bet they were. I can't tell you how many parents have come up to me and complemented you. I told you that you'd do an amazing job. You always do." She was utterly surprised when they began to walk to the car and he held onto her. Despite their relationship being so close-even more so after the seperation-he was in his weird teenage, _stop hugging me_ phase.

"Hey, listen bug. You know Nona wanted to come, but she had to work."

"That's okay. You came." She grabbed him in a side hug and kissed the top of his head as they continued toward their car.

"I wouldn't miss it."

Maura had been looking everywhere for her perfect boy. She looked in the lobby, in the banquet room, and even went behind stage. She had gone to the dressing room where one of the performers had only gawked at her upon immediately recognizing who she was.

"Listen, I'm really in a hurry. So if you could just tell me if you've seen him…"

"Um, yes sir…uhh ma'am…Dr. Isles. Ah, he…"

The girl, red-faced and shaky form, pointed toward the exit that the boy left out of. _Damn it!_ She had missed him. He was gone. She left out of the exit and started to walk toward the parking lot, feeling entirely defeated. Then her head perked up when she remembered that she still had the boy's name. She wouldn't let this one slip through the cracks. Just then she heard the unforgettable chuckle of the woman who sat next to her. She looked around the parking lot to find Jane with a boy curled into her side. _Could it be?_

"Leonardo Rizzoli?" The boy and his mother both turned toward her. Jane looked at the woman in wonderment. _Is she following me?_ Maura slowly walked up stopping only a few feet in front of them.

"Are you Leonardo Rizzoli?" When the boy didn't say anything Jane looked down at him. He had dropped his gym bag on the ground and stood rooted to the spot. His mouth was gapped open and his wide eyes mimicked a deer stuck in head lights. Jane shook her head before she looked back to Maura.

"Uh, yeah. He is." Maura looked to Jane and tilted her head in confusion.

"Are you his mother?"

"Yes I am. Now is there something I can help you with or are you just going to keep on saying and asking me random things?" Before Maura could respond, Leo grabbed Jane's arm in a death grip.

"Ma! Stop! Do you have any idea who she is?" He hissed, with a look of astonishment on his face.

"Uh no. I mean her name's Maura."

"Yeah, ma. Dr. Maura Isles. You know of the IDC!"

"The, what?"

"The IDC, Ma. The Isles Dance Company!" Jane snapped her head back up. Her face turned beat red as her son's words sank in. Leo had always talked about joining a dance studio. Right around the time his parents separated Leo's academia started to suffer. So, instead of joining a dance studio, his mother had to spend that money on a tutor.

"Oh, Ms. Isles. I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

"It's Dr. Isles actually and really, it's okay." Jane smiled and wiped her hand on her jeans before she stuck it out for Maura to shake which she took. A little too eagerly. _Calm down Maura; it's just a handshake._

"I'm Jane Rizzoli. We sat next to each other inside."

"Yes. I remember."

"It makes sense now. Why you were staring so hard at my kid. You're a dance teacher. That's-"

"Ma, she's not just a dance teacher. She owns the studio. She graduated from Bolshoi Ballet Academy when she was only nineteen years old. Then she was recruited to the Kirov Company for five years. And…and when she was with them she won the **_national_** award for Best Female Dancer and Best Female Performance her last four years there. And she even won some awards for her partner work.

"Then she taught classical ballet at Julliard for three years. Oh, Ma! T-Then, she started her own dance company right here in Boston and don't even let me get started on how many awards they've won…" He trailed off overly excited and slightly out of breath. He looked at his mother as she looked at him with an amused smile, before turning back to Maura.

"So, you're like perfection, huh?"

"Yup, she is."

Maura smiled nervously and started fiddling with her purse. She didn't hate it when people talked about her accomplishments. It just made her uncomfortable. It reminded her of all of those monotonous dinners she had sat through with her mother's friends as she listened to her go on and on about how Maura turned out so much better than their children.

"Well…I am certainly far from perfect. I can assure you of that."

"And she's modest too. That's cute." _Crap. Did I just call her cute?_

 _Did she just call me cute?_

"Um, so Dr. Isles. Did you enjoy my performance?" He started not to ask for fear that she would shoot him down. Maura set her shoulders and stared into the boys eyes.

"You, Leonardo Rizzoli are…I…When you dance…" Maura took a deep breath.

"I have never seen anyone with such an amazingly easy dance technique like yours in my _entire_ life. Especially, in someone so young. How old are you?" The boy stared up at his mother with a smile that spread across his entire mouth.

"I'm thirteen."

"T-Thirteen?"

"Yes ma'am." Maura looked up into Jane's face for confirmation to see her gazing at her son lovingly.

"That's, well that's astonishing. Who do you dance with? I can't think of anyone who would be able to train such a vessel. Anyone in the States anyway."

"No one. I kind of taught myself." _He has to be joking._ She closed her eyes to catch her bearings. She couldn't understand how this boy could have taught his own self to dance so technically. Unless…

"He's a prodigy." She breathed out.

"What did you say?" Jane suddenly brought herself back into the conversation.

"You're son. He's a prodigy, Ms. Rizzoli." Jane looked back at Leo who was positively buzzing with joy. She put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him closer.

"You really think so?"

"I know so. Leonardo your lines are marvelous and your fingers are so articulate…and…I am in love with your feet."

"Thank you very much, Dr. Isles. That sounds amazing coming from you."

"I'm not saying this just to be nice." The boy curiously looked at her. "Leonardo, I want you." When they both only looked at her incredulously, she realized what she said.

"No, that's not what I meant to say." Jane let out a loud laughed.

"Yeah, that seems to be a common occurrence with you." Maura blushed remembering their previous interaction and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"What I meant was, I want you to be a part of my dance studio." The boy clasped his hand over his mouth and turned to his mother. He jumped up and down.

"Ma can I!? Please! Can I please!?" Jane looked from her son to the woman and back to her son. She really did want to say yes to her son. Of course she wanted this beyond amazing opportunity for him. By the way that Leo described her accomplishments, Maura seemed like she could get him into some pretty amazing doors. She looked into his face hating herself for what she was about to do.

"Bug, I'm…you know I would say yes in a heartbeat. Especially with how prestigious this all seems to be but…you can't." The boy's face fell immediately and his shoulders sank. He turned back to face Maura who could tell he was willing himself not to cry.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Isles. I can't." Maura began to panic. She couldn't let this amazing talent go untamed, unseen from the rest of the world.

"Ms. Rizzoli, if I may ask. Why not?"

"We um…look Dr. Isles I really appreciate the time you're trying to give my kid. We're both really grateful, but honestly…I wouldn't be able to afford you. I'm sorry." Jane reached down and grabbed her son's duffle bag and his hand. They started once again toward the car. Maura was in full 'Oh Shit' mode. _He's slipping away..._

"Wait!" They both stopped without turning around. Maura rushed to stand in front of them again. "Maybe we could work something out. I just can't stand to see such a talent go unappreciated. He needs to be in a studio…he needs to be in my studio-"

"Dr. Isles-"

"No please, just…just here me out. You bring him for an audition. He will go through a process with other boys his age. Then he will come in for a private audition." At the word audition the boy's ears perked up.

"Wait I have to audition. _Hundreds_ of dancer try out for this every year. How many open spots do you have?" The blonde looked down and swallowed thickly.

"…Six. But Leonardo rest assured. You will make it through. Trust me. And once you're in the company, then we can talk about how much you can afford."

Jane contemplated this for a while. Chewing on her lip she looked at Maura's pleading eyes. She started to shake her head, but before she could say anything Maura spoke again. "Please, Ms. Rizzoli. Just an audition."

With a sigh Jane finally relented. "Fine, just an audition." The boy immediately leapt into his mother's arms and squeezed her tightly.

"Thanks Ma! You're the best! And you too, Dr. Isles!"

Willing herself not to run to the woman and throw her arms around her neck, Dr. Isles settled for a curt nod. "Thank you, Ms. Rizzoli."

"Uh huh." Jane said mockingly as she smirked at the blonde woman. Maura reached into her bag and handed Jane her business card.

"Here. You can email me personally and I will send you the audition information and itinerary." Jane took the card and smiled. Without another word she wrapped her arm around her son's shoulders and walked to their car.

 _My diamond. I found them…That's not what I meant. **Him.** I found him. _


End file.
